Fireside Interview With K. T. Egan

Let's start the New Year with a New Author and a New Book!

Join us at the bonfire!

 It's a lazy afternoon and a the backyard bonfire is blazing. Hot dogs and fixings for smores are ready to go. New Adult Romance author, KT Egan stopped by for a cup of tea and a fireside chat about her new book, All You Hold On To, the first book in the Anderson Creek series.

I know you have penned several short stories and poems but I'm so excited for your new book, KT! I understand this is your first published book and the beginning of a four book series. That's awesome! All You Hold On To is a beautifully written book with a sweet romance, second chance love and great characters who will pull at your heartstrings.  Where did you get the idea for this story?

KT: I was sitting in the writing center of my alma matter, trying to make sense of a project I’d started over the summer when it dawned on me that there are so many questions left unanswered at the end of a relationship. And one of the biggest ones, to me anyway, was what would you do if the person you broke up with was the only you had? What if that person was your power of attorney – would you change it or would you leave it the same because you knew that person, you trusted that person at one point with your entire life.

How did you come up with the book title?

KT: I was inspired by a song - and then the wording just fell into place.

I'm always inspired by the music I listen to. I get storyline ideas and character names. Speaking of names, how did you create your characters?

KT: I’ve had a lot of eclectic jobs in my life, and I’ve worked with a lot of zany people, and more often than not I find myself drawing character name inspiration from the people who tend to come in and out of my life on a day-to-day basis.  

Here's a smore for you. 

Instead of using a Hersey bar, I used a Reese peanut butter cup. 

So yummy! While we're nibbling on sweet treats, tell me, how naughty do you get with your writing? 

KT: I mainly write more sweet, lighter romance with just a touch of suggestion. However, it’s mainly very PG.

Where there scenes you found difficult to write?

KT: I have a really hard time with the scenes right in the middle, surrounding the climax of the story.

That, I can relate to. The story in my head moves much faster than my fingers can type and then I'll sit back and think, "Is that what I want to tell? Is that how I want to tell it?" Tell me something trivial about you when you're writing. 

KT: I once Googled about eight different can designs for Folger’s coffee cans – it was a very miniscule detail to the story I was working on but something I was determined to get right. I always have to have noise around me – I know a lot of authors can’t write with external distractions but I need them to be able to focus. It can be anything from TV to the radio, as long as it makes noise. 

I'm right there with ya, sista! I always have music on when I write. We'll our time is coming to an end. There are hot dogs to be roasted and mugs to be refilled with tea. What would you like to share with our readers?

KT: Don’t count yourself down and out, no matter how hard things can seem sometimes. For me, the best inspiration has always come from those moments where I felt that I was at my lowest.

Fun stuff:

Favorite drink: Lime seltzer

Favorite candy: Reese’s cups

Favorite food: Tacos of all kinds

Favorite article of clothing or jewelry: I love jeans

Favorite place to read: The couch, with a cup of tea and a cozy blanket.

Place you want to visit some day: Barcelona, Spain

 

Special Thanks to author, KT Egan. 

Find KT on:

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Check out her new book All You Hold On To

1st book of the Anderson Creek Series
BUY NOW on Amazon

Aspiring author Roxanne Wortham lives a comfortable life in Las Vegas. She spends her days at her nine-to-five job and comes home to her boyfriend, Ethan, and an unfinished novel that she can’t seem to crack. Her life is simple— that is, until she gets a phone call saying that her childhood best friend and ex-boyfriend, Maverick Sterling, has been in a near-fatal car crash.

As Roxanne discovers that she still has power of attorney over his affairs, she places her life on hold and rushes to Maverick’s side in Scranton, Pennsylvania. While helping him to recover, memories of childhood and old relationships resurface, making it difficult for Roxanne to balance her new life with her old one. Roxanne is left to sort through complicated feelings from her past alongside the realization that Maverick may still have feelings for her— and even worse, she may still have feelings for him, too.

Books to Add to Winter Reading List

 I have a couple books to add to your Winter TBR pile. Yesterday, romance author Marie McKinney stopped by for a chat. Check out the interview HERE. She has two books out now and one coming in November. She captures emotions and drama perfectly.

An emotional first
& second chance romance.

If you can’t fall in love in Paris, where can you?

Emily Chambers ran away to Paris to heal her broken heart. Because, really, where better to do that than the city of love? Just her luck she finds the perfect crush in a French tour guide… Just in time to bid him adieu. That’s okay. A few perfect days together and a few swoon worthy memories to last her forever, she’ll take that. Only… Emily finds herself toting home something a little more permanent than her Eiffel Tower key-chain.

Nick Wyatt wasn’t looking for love but that’s exactly what he finds in a bubbly, doe-eyed, big-hearted brunette. Problem is, she’s leaving in a few days. Bigger problem is she thinks he’s a French tour-guide named Jean-Luc. A not-so-chance reunion two years later leads to a second chance.
This time he’s not letting her slip through his fingers.

BUY NOW ON AMAZON

*****************************************

1st book in the Wilde Men series

When Magdalena was a little girl, the worse thing she could imagine was never knowing who her father was. Then she grew up and met him.

Now with the threat of what’s left of her family being ripped apart, she’s forced to wed his rival to stop a brewing war from imploding a world she never knew existed.

When the girl he’d pledged to marry was murdered, Aidan Wilde swore he would never share his life with anyone else. He promised her he’d dedicate every breath to ruining her killer. Who would have thought that in order to do the second he’d have to break his promise about the first? But that doesn’t mean he’s going to give away his heart.

He’s not the husband she wanted but he’s the one she needs.

She’s not the wife he wanted but she’s the one he’s owed.

Together Magdalena and Aidan could be a force to be reckoned with.

But first they have to get out of their own way.

BUY NOW ON AMAZON

***********************************************

Book 2 of the Wilde Men series

Sometimes the most courageous thing you can do is love someone enough to stay.

Kate’s spent all her life being the responsible one. The one who left the risk taking to everyone else. With a mother who followed her gut down every shiny road made of fool’s gold, a father who’d left her before she was born, and a string of failed relationships, she knows the real risk is relying on others. Especially when it comes to her heart.
Then Sloan Wilde blows into her life and he’s the one risk she can’t afford not to take.

Former Marine, Sloan Wilde knew what it was like to have his entire world ripped out from underneath his feet. Orphaned at twelve years old, he’s spent so much time protecting his heart from the devastation that comes with loving someone and then losing them that he hasn’t spared a thought towards finding his forever someone.
Then in a blur of serendipity she walks into his life, steals his convictions, and turns his heart inside out.
Now he just has to convince her to stay.

One’s afraid to love.
The other’s afraid to lose the ones he loves.
But fate is a fickle mistress and the past has a way of coming full circle. Only time can teach them the true meaning of courage...And they’re running out of it.

Coming in November

PRE-ORDER NOW ON AMAZON

On Deck - Marie McKinney Chats About The Arrangement

 

The evening light is upon us and the fire table is lit. I have a special guest on the deck today so please welcome Marie McKinney. She used to be a counselor but her own mind turned her into a romance author. You will find the human drama that makes life interesting in the contemporary and paranormal romances she writes. 

I love the diverse characters from different backgrounds she creates and helps them fall in love. Her book,  After Paris captures all that plus emotional twists and turns with a second chance romance.

 

I’m so excited Marie has a new book out and she’s here today to tell us about it. The Arrangement was released in August. She has joined me at the high-top fire table for drinks. She’s enjoying a Vanilla Coke with Tennessee Honey Jack Daniels. I decided to have one too since I’m a sucker for Vanilla Coke. We have a bowl of Reese’s Peanut Butter cups between us. Marie and Flyboy share the love of these wonderful sweets. Lucky for us, he’s out flying thus leaving all the Reese’s for us!

 

Thanks for joining us, Marie. Since the temps are going down, I’m going dive right into this. I know you have After Paris and now the 1^st book in the Wilde Men series but how many books to you have prior to these?

 

The Arrangementis not my first book but it is only the second book I’ve written under my name. I started writing professionally as a ghostwriter in 2012 and did that for a few years until that little voice in the back of my head said, “Enough. Don’t you want to see your name on your work?” In all I’ve probably written somewhere in the neighborhood of fifteen or sixteen books. I’m not real sure since once it’s approved by the client, I’d ceremoniously let it go, delete the file, say goodbye and move on. A nice little figurative trashcan fire of my ex’s things. 

 

I’ll drink to that! *We clink glasses and take a drink* It’s crazy how the mind works. What inspired you to write your latest book, The Arrangement?

 

Usually the characters come to me before the story, with this one though, it was the other way around. I wanted to write an arranged marriage trope but make it modern day and realistic. The only scene I “borrowed” from real life is the opening scene with Maggie at work and her customers chanting “salad, salad” at her. My niece worked as a waitress while putting herself through med-school and was always blessed with the most interesting customers. The restaurant Black Tin Roof will show up from time to time and most of that comes from her fabulous rendition of life in the service industry.

 

I love basing fiction on the reality in my life. Good for your niece and her inspiration. Do you give her a cut of the fame?

 

No she doesn’t get royalties, but I do give the best Christmas presents. Lol. 

 

I’d rather have the wonderful gifts. LOL Sounds like you have a nice arrangement. LOL See what I did there. LOL How did you come up with the title, TheArrangement?

 

Laziness was my inspiration, lol. “The Arrangement” for a story about an Arranged Marriage.

 

I think it sounds a little dirty, in a sexy way. I love your character names, Magdalena and Aidan. How do you come up with your characters’ names?

 

Sometimes it just comes to me and those times I have to be careful and check my long list of already used character names to make sure I’m not double dipping, or repeating consonants. Once I had a Diana, Deirdre and Daniel all in the same book, no lie. Apparently, that month was represented by the letter “D.” When I’m stuck on a new name, usually the character’s backstory helps me. Even if that backstory isn’t used in the actual novel. Magdalena and her sisters Miriam and Guinevere had a young mom who fantasized about being rescued by Robin Hood or a literal knight in shining armor hence the names. 

 

Oooh, I love the story behind the story, or I should say…the story behind the name. Hey, if you could have any movie star take on a role of one of your characters who do you think it would be?

 

AHhh. I don’t know! I never visualize my characters as actors or actresses. I know, I’m the only one in the world. They always appear in my mind’s eye as themselves, though, so I really don’t know.

 

Come to think of it, my characters look more like regular people than movie starts. Anyways… back to your writing. How naughty do you get with your stories?

 

I consider myself pretty middle of the line. I don’t fade out and close the door but I’m not pulling out whips and chains and making them beg in excruciating detail. There are sex scenes, they get pretty steamy, there’s a lot of build-up and intimacy even when they’re not having sex. But I think everyone has their own way of rating so my just enough might be someone else’s whoa buddy. Only one way to find out, hint hint, nudge nudge. Lol. 

 

The build-up makes a scene even more intense and sexy. Yes, friends, you need to dive into The Arrangement to find out! Now, Marie, you like to take readers on an emotional ride and do it well. What would you say were difficult scenes to write?

 

The second chapter when her sisters are getting loaded into a car and taken away. That scene took the longest because it punched me in the cry-box every time. Especially when Maggie settles her little sister who has Autism and sends her off, knowing she can’t explain why they’re not going together. I have an eight-year-old on the spectrum and I might have over-personalized the moment, imagining how he might feel.

 

Personal things like that pull a reader in. As an author, I know how research goes when writing so what is the strangest thing you’ve Googled while working on a story?

 

This story was pretty tame. The wackiest it got was putting together the Kilabarian language. But I have had stories that would get me convicted on an episode of CSI. The strangest thing I’ve ever googled for a novel was “How much of the body remains after a house-fire.”

 

Hopefully “big brother” isn’t watching you. LOL Do you have any rituals to must haves while you are writing?

 

Each book is different. I’ve had books where I’ve had to write it the old-fashioned way, pen and paper. Then there were books where I powered through with chocolate and snacks. Luckily those are few and far between. The Arrangement wanted to wake me up in the middle of the night for just one more scene that could not wait. All my recent work, though, does not get started or completed without my grandmother’s picture siting right in front of me.

 

Okay…now for some fun stuff. What’s your favorite food?

 

Ice cream. Any. All. Vanilla with sprinkles. Birthday cake. Chocolate Chip cookie dough. Ooo Ben and Jerry’s used to have this flavor: sweet cream ice cream with cashews but they were coated in something first. If I had a genie, I’d completely waste a wish on bringing that sucker back. 

 

Oh, girl… we are going to be best friends! I have a freezer dedicated to ice cream! LOL What is your favorite thing to wear?

 

Leggings

 

Yes! Nothing is better than wearing leggings and curling up with a good book such as The Arrangement. Where is you favorite place to read?

 

I live in the south, there are very few days I have the need for a fireplace. Still. I imagine curling up on my couch in front of a roaring fire, reading away. In reality it’s my bed. Lol.

 

You need to visit my log home in the wood in the middle of winter. Flyboy will build us a nice fire in the fireplace, make us Jack and vanilla cokes, and make sure we have cuddly blankets handy. Oh, Flyboy wanted me to ask you, what place would you like to visit some day?

 

It’s on my bucket-list to write underneath an Irish sunrise. Or sunset. Ireland and sun. Wildflowers. Fields.

 

Flyboy has been there and said it’s definitely worth it. Do you have any special words for your readers today?

 

Hi!! I hope you’re enjoying my novels as much as I’m enjoying releasing them to you. The best part about being an author is being able to share some small piece of a world I get to create with an infinite number of other people to appreciate. The second best thing is getting to hear what you think about it. Reviews are our (authors) life-blood. Feed me, Seymour. Lol. No, seriously, thank you for taking a chance on me.

 

Thanks for joining Marie McKinney and I on the deck. Sorry, we won't share the remaining Reeses with you, I'm letting Marie take the rest home. You can find Marie

 

Twitter and Instagram: @mckinney_writes

Website: ILoveTheWayYou.com

Check out MarieMcKinney’s Amazon Author Page

 

Please check out her latest book, The Arrangement, the 1^st book in the Wilde Men series.

 

When Magdalena was a little girl, the worse thing she could imagine was never knowing who her father was. Then she grew up and met him.
Now with the threat of what’s left of her family being ripped apart, she’s forced to wed his rival to stop a brewing war from imploding a world she never knew existed.

When the girl he’d pledged to marry was murdered, Aidan Wilde swore he would never share his life with anyone else. He promised her he’d dedicate every breath to ruining her killer. Who would have thought that in order to do the second he’d have to break his promise about the first? But that doesn’t mean he’s going to give away his heart.

He’s not the husband she wanted but he’s the one she needs.
She’s not the wife he wanted but she’s the one he’s owed.
Together Magdalena and Aidan could be a force to be reckoned with.
But first they have to get out of their own way.

 

The Arrangement on Amazon 

 

 Pick it up now to read while waiting for the 2nd book, Stay coming in November.

 

 

New Release from Jeanne St. James - Tempting Him

Tempting Him (An Obsessed Novella)

By Jeanne St. James

Genre: Contemporary Erotic Romance, BDSM

On Sale for a limited time for 99¢ in the Love Me Hard Boxed Set

A set of 15 hot & spicey romances that will tickle your fancy!

Buy Link: https://books2read.com/lovemehard

It’s not just a love story, it’s an obsession...

Skylar:           

Every time my neighbor jogs past my house, I do my best to tempt him. Washing my car, watering my lawn, doing yoga in the grass with my all my assets in the air. I’m not sure if he notices me, but I sure can’t miss him.

Then one day he falls... into my arms and into my bed. Surprisingly, we’re better matched than I would’ve expected. But when he reveals who he is, my world comes crashing down around me because if he finds out my secret we’re finished before we’ve even begun.

Cade:

Three days a week, I put myself through hell by jogging through my neighborhood. I suffer through it simply to catch a glimpse of a woman I don’t know. Every time I pass her house she’s outside tempting me. Until one day I fall... over my feet, over my heart, over this woman and into her arms.

I know nothing about her, but I want to discover everything. Even her deepest, darkest secrets. However, little does she know, I have one, too. One that may sever the tie that binds us.

Chapter One

Skylar:

I watch as sweat drips one bead at a time onto my over-priced yoga mat. The sun is so freaking hot and here I am, like an idiot out in my yard, bent over in the downward facing dog pose for the past million years. Okay, not years... maybe more like a million seconds. But my body has decided it hates me (nothing new) and is cramping while my head spins. Even better, my over-priced yoga pants have clawed their way up my crack (as well as one other place). And still...

No neighbor.

What the hell?

Despite my eyeballs’ attempt at bulging out of their sockets, I peek at my sports watch. He should’ve been by here two-point-five minutes ago.

Shit.

The man is usually like clockwork, jogging by my house on Monday, Wednesday and Friday afternoons every week. For the most part, anyway. Though, thunderstorms seem to discourage him from his cardio. (Not sure why.)

On those days, I would be willing to recommend another type of cardio to get his heart pumping. And maybe get his hips pumping, too.

Anyway... look at me! Doing yoga on my front lawn, on the uneven grass, waiting like a desperate woman. (I’m not, really, I promise! It just looks that way.)

But, damn, the man is fine and when he jogs past shirtless, he’s shiny with sweat, which makes me want to drag him inside and give him a sponge bath with my tongue.

My thighs start shaking as I peek between my spread legs, because, of course, my ass has to be facing the street. I want him to get a good look at what I’m offering.

I may even wiggle it a little when he jogs by.

That is if I don’t pass out into a heap first.

I sigh.

Then sigh again a little louder just for good measure.

Maybe it would be easier if I just took up jogging. Wear one of those sexy sports bras, put my hair up in a cute little pony tail, plaster a smile on my face and follow him around the block at a perky pace.

I’ll die first.

****

Cade:

Why I ever started this shit, I’ll never know. No, I lie. I know. I thought, “Cade, dude, wouldn’t it be great to up your cardio game and start running?”

I answered myself with, “Yeah, man, that would be great and fun, too!” And then maybe I won’t get so winded when I play basketball with the guys. I’ll have more endurance, I’ll look and feel younger, and...

Fuck that.

Running sucks. And I don’t even think what I do can be considered as running. No, it’s more of a jog. Or a lope. Or trotting like a donkey with a lame hoof.

Inhell. Exhell.

My chest burns, my leg muscles spasm, my balls feel like they’re floating in a puddle of sweat, and the crack of my ass...

I’m not even going there. (Trust me, you don’t want to, either.)

So, why don’t I just stop the torture? (Good question!)

I’ve asked myself that for the past month.

And the answer has always been...

Her.

I sacrifice three days a week just to see a woman I don’t know.

Not sure why, but she always seems to be outside at the same time of the day. For that reason, I make sure that’s when I go running (jogging, trotting, limping) by.

Am I crazy to torture myself because I find someone attractive and I’d like to get her attention?

Eh. Maybe.

Why don’t I just knock on her door and ask her out? (Another good question.)

Maybe I want to impress her with my physique and athletic prowess.

But honestly, something has to give and it has to be soon. Because this running shit sucks balls and I’d rather stick razor blades under my fingernails.

At least my slow trot is the right speed to observe her without being creepy. Walking would be too slow and obvious. Driving too quick and useless, not to mention dangerous when she’s clearly a distraction.

And, of course, my pace always allows me enough time to enjoy the show she gives me.

On Wednesday, she was out washing her car, her top soaked, her nipples pushing through the thin fabric of her shirt, and when she bent over to scrub the hood of said car, my boner just about popped out of my shorts. You know, those little nylon running shorts. The ones with the mesh liner, clearly not made for sexual arousal.

But I digress.

The week before, she was out watering her lawn. And, once again, her top was wetter than her grass.

Here’s the thing, the entire neighborhood has built-in sprinklers.

Maybe hers are broken.

It’s possible.

I grunt as I turn the corner and try to push myself a little faster since I’m off my game today. I’m later than normal, and I want my running to look as effortless as possible. It needs to look as though I’ve got my shit together and I’m not secretly suffering.

My eyes swing to the left as I jog. She’s the fourth house up. The brick ranch home with the two-car garage.

Two houses to go yet.

One house.

My eyes widen as I see her ass in tight black yoga pants in the air. My step stutters but I can’t stop my momentum.

My mouth becomes an O, partly because I’m falling over my own two feet, the other because she’s dropped to her knees and is now arching backwards grabbing onto her heels, her generous tits straining against her top.

Last thing I see is her blinking upside down at me as her head hangs down her back.

Suddenly, I’m staring at nothing but pavement (and my loss of manhood). The little bit of oxygen I had sucked into my lungs is now gone.

Then, what seems like seconds later, bare, cute, red painted toes come into view.

I want to just die.

About the Author:

JEANNE ST. JAMES is a USA Today bestselling erotic romance author who loves an alpha male (or two). She was only thirteen when she started writing. Her first paid published piece was an erotic story in Playgirl magazine. Her first erotic romance novel, Banged Up, was published in 2009. She is happily owned by farting French bulldogs. She writes M/F, M/M, and M/M/F ménages. Want to read a sample of her work? Download a sampler book here: BookHip.com/MTQQKK

To keep up with her busy release schedule check her website at www.jeannestjames.com or sign up for her newsletter: http://www.jeannestjames.com/newslettersignup

Author Links:

Website: http://www.jeannestjames.com

Blog: http://jeannestjames.blogspot.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JeanneStJamesAuthor/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jeannestjames/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JeanneStJames

Amazon Author Page: http://tinyurl.com/JeanneStJames

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/JeanneStJames

Newsletter: http://www.jeannestjames.com/newslettersignup

Review & Book Crew: https://www.facebook.com/groups/JeannesReviewCrew/

Tasty Teaser - First Chapter from Taming Rachel

This book begins with a prologue, however, I've selected the first chapter. Please enjoy this tease from the newly released 

Chapter One

Ten years had passed since their college graduation. Tired of the typical class reunion socializing, Rachel stepped into the shadows to sip her wine. To most people, being in a room containing several ex-lovers could be a bit of a downer, but enough time had passed and everyone greeted each other like old friends. The evening consisted of meeting spouses, seeing photos of children, and hearing about various occupational paths. Of course, gossip of divorces topped the conversations.

Some were using the opportunity to network for their careers. The school district she worked for had made some drastic cuts, leaving her jobless. All her belongings were in storage, and she lived out of a suitcase while job hunting. Surely there had to be districts looking for an innovative art teacher. A couple of classmates who held positions as principals offered their business cards with the promise to accept her resume.

A loud shout drew her attention. Members of the championship football team were honored guests at her class reunion. Gazing across one of the finest rooms in the Vegas Castillo Hotel, she watched her twin brother, Bill, ham it up with old friends. He wore a permanent smile as he laughed with his long-lost, but not forgotten, teammates. She suspected after being blessed with fatherhood and a job as a corporate lawyer, he didn’t see much of his college buddies. With animated gestures, they were talking about the season of fame. One fellow gently tossed the championship football with the players’ signatures to a couple of guys. What a rough and burly bunch they still were.

She loved her brother but often wondered if she’d made a mistake going to the same college as him. During their four years, she enjoyed the popularity that went along with being the star quarterback’s sister. She’d tolerated the overbearing nature of her twin who criticized her choice of men, even if she dated one of his close friends. Any man he pushed her toward never seemed to satisfy her and became one more in a string of onenight stands.

Lucky for her, he stayed out of her love life after his wedding. Most of the men she knew had married and settled into neat, scheduled lives. So much had changed over time; once lean, vigorous bodies had given in to the softness of sedimentary lifestyles revolving around their budding families.

One man managed to still have his muscular physique and remain as hot as ever; Dustin “Dusty” Stiles, the legendary linebacker who’d led the team in tackles. Back in the day, the girls on campus considered him the epitome of tall, dark, and hunky. From the stares he received as he walked past them, they still deemed him so. He wore his black tie loosened around the open collar of the white dress shirt tapering down to his narrow waist. Black pants covered the world’s perfect butt and thighs. Polished Durango boots with silver tips reflected his cowboy side.

Rachel had managed to dodge him all night. She’d evaded everything regarding him for years. After college, she left Michigan and her family to move to a small town in New York. She didn’t see much of her brother and always avoided discussing news of his friends, especially after what happened with Dusty after Bill’s wedding.

However, any thoughts of him usually accompanied a self-induced orgasm. No other man she’d dated could compare to him. He pushed her to sexual heights not reached since. She loved what he did to her and hated how he used her. Memories of how she gave in to him time and time again still generated pain in her heart. She missed his friendship, his dominant qualities, and his magical touch. He haunted her.

Time had passed. According to the talk of the night, he’d moved to Wyoming for work as an engineer on the wind turbines but ended up making a fortune when oil was discovered on the property he bought. They were different people now, but what if they still had that volatile magnetism between them?

Putting down his signature rum and coke on a nearby table, he unbuttoned the cuffs of his shirt. She watched his hands, remembering how they strummed her body like a guitar. Heat spread down her spine and pooled between her thighs. Standing sideways, he rolled the sleeves, baring his strong forearms; the flash of a watch made her blink. The black cowboy hat he wore shadowed his face, but she swore he sent a fleeting look in her direction. A slow grin appeared on his face. Part of her wished to be the recipient of the smile instead of those he conversed with. He radiated brilliance with perfect teeth, and memories of those lips made her hotter.

Single women flirted with him while several married ones undressed him with their eyes. One of the flirty females took his hat for a moment. He held out his hand and flashed a sharp glance at the woman. With a blush, she complied and gave it back. His dark hair worn cropped close in a military style reflected his assertive and compelling personality. His nose no longer possessed the familiar bump she recalled him having as a result of its being broken twice. She bit her lip and recalled how she spent many quiet moments caressing his nose and face with her fingertips and lips.

Moving around the room with ease and chatting with her brother and friends, he carried an air of dignity. He walked with a slight limp and managed to make that sexy! She thought back to the game that ended his football career. The injury cost him his scholarship and depression knocked on his door, but, with her help, he kept his spirits up. They often studied together, played cards, or just hung out. Time created a wonderful friendship. Funny how simple, sweet sociable chats often ended with him inside her. She warmed with the recollection of sitting naked on his lap while his leg rested in a cast.

Needing a change, she stepped outdoors onto a patio and debated whether to stay at the reunion a while longer or head to her room and call it a night. One of her sorority sisters followed her outside.

“Are you okay?” Brenda asked.

“I’m fine…just needed some air.” Taking a deep breath, she relaxed.

“Too many exes in one room?” She flipped her hair.

“You could say that.”

“You were such a wild child, Rachel Willis.” Leaning against the railing, Brenda took a slow sip of her Long Island Ice Tea. “You had it all…good grades, popularity, and the hot guys. What was it you used to say?”

“Guys were like a box of chocolates, and I simply had to sample them all so I could decide what kind of guy I wanted to spend the rest of my life with.”

“I can’t believe with all that sampling, you didn’t find a favorite flavor.” Brenda raised an eyebrow. “You didn’t sleep with them all, did you?”

“Of course not all of them! But, damn, who could resist popping a guy’s cherry?”

“For sure. Virgin Destroying Squad to the rescue. God we were nuts.” Brenda snorted in an unladylike manner.

“Seriously though, I didn’t have to screw a guy to figure out if I liked him or not. I didn’t enjoy being controlled by those so-called experienced guys with their macho attitudes of possession.” She turned to her friend. “Remember the guy I left at the movie theater? He told me he didn’t want me wearing nail polish! I hadn’t even kissed him, and he went all freaky on me, telling me what to do!”

“He had to hitch a ride back to campus because you had the car.” She laughed. “What a dweeb. Do you know whatever happened to him?”

“I heard he’s on his third wife.”

They paused to share a quick giggle.

“But, if memory serves me, you had a thing for virgins.”

“They were so sweet.” She played coy. “I felt sorry for the cuties coming to college intact. It was my duty to help them out. They will always remember me being their first.”

“You were afraid of being forgotten? Pft.” She waved her hand in dismissal. “Those boys caused your emotional downfall. You used the ability to dominate guys as a way to just get an itch scratched rather than developing a relationship. A guy who knew what he wanted and how to get it would have had you wrapped around his pinky. You should have left the boys alone and focused on the right man.”

“Puh-lease! Not again.” She rolled her eyes. “You’ve been giving me this speech since our senior year.”

“Alright, I’ll lay off the lecture crap. But you know I’m right.” Brenda gave her a quick hug. “I’m so glad you came. I can’t imagine being at a class reunion without you.”

“You had a great idea for these mini-reunions. I didn’t make it to Michigan when they celebrated the real anniversary of the championship game on campus last year. I won’t make it to the official reunion in October. I even missed the mini-reunion in Chicago last month.”

“You’ve had a lot on your plate with losing your job and moving. It surprised me when you said you were coming to Vegas, though.” Brenda winked at her.

“You are such a liar. You were the one who convinced me to try Madame Eve’s service to find that man with experience.” She smirked. “Even my brother and mother are in on this.”

“What?”

“I’ve been feeling a bit lonely for a year and confided in my mom.” She shifted on her feet to ease a small ache. “Somehow she managed to bring it up to my sister-in-law who told my brother. My brother told mom to tell me to go through Madame Eve’s elite dating service. They were both all over me when I signed up and had a date.”

“They only care about you and want you happy. To be honest, I have faith in her and1Night Stand. Hey, she brought me and my sex god back together. Some things are just meant to be.” Brenda shrugged. “I had no idea she’d have a match for you so quickly, though. How convenient to have your date during our reunion. Say, when are you meeting him?”

“I don’t know. According to a note in my room, he will find me.” She picked up a small bowl of nuts off a nearby table and nibbled on a few. “I don’t know a thing about him. Madame Eve insists he is perfect and told me to trust her on this.”

“Wow! Sounds so hot! What if it’s somebody from our class?” Waving off Rachel’s offer of nuts, she drew her phone out of her purse.

“Eww.” She wrinkled her nose and set the bowl down. “I’m not into married men with beer bellies.”

“Hey, my man is still as buff as the day we graduated.” Holding up her phone, Brenda flashed a photo of a handsome man in swim trunks. “It’s okay. You can peek. Just don’t touch.”

“True, he is a hottie.” Would she ever find the one who would rock her world? “You are so lucky to have your perfect guy.”

“Time to take a selfie. Smile, sister.” Brenda held up her phone, slipped an arm around her waist, and snapped a photo. “Seriously, Rach, why didn’t you ever have a real relationship with any of your flings?”

“The only one who I wanted saw me as nothing more than a friend with benefits. I guess he didn’t care enough to see me more than a fuck buddy.” She glanced over her shoulder to the party behind her.

“Your brother probably scared him off.” After a pause, her friend leaned in to whisper, “That good, huh?”

“Oh lord, try amazing.” She met her friend’s eyes. “He understood exactly what I wanted or needed, even if I didn’t really know myself. He cultivated my unruly ways.”

“Tell me, who was this magnificent farmer who plowed you good?”

Casting her eyes downward, she shook her head. If she put his name on her lips, a rush of emotions would bubble to the already fragile surface.

“Wait a minute, I remember a guy. He’s here tonight, isn’t he?” Brenda grabbed her by the elbow. “It’s Wild Stiles, isn’t it?”

“Yes.” She nodded then took a drink.

“Oh…wow. He’s become super successful. What a catch. He’s looking like a cross between John Cena and a dark-haired Channing Tatum tonight. Total hotness.” Brenda fanned her face. “And here you are, still waiting for your 1Night Stand man to show up, tame you, and capture your heart. He’ll have some B…I…G shoes to fill.” She let out a whistle. “I’m sure the man capable of tying you down, in more ways than one, will find you. Maybe it’ll be tonight. If Madame Eve’s man doesn’t turn out, I think you should consider swallowing your pride and have Mr. Orgasm for breakfast. He might be the only one to pacify you after this dry spell you’ve had.”

“Brenda, you’ve had too much to drink.” She laughed and pointed at her friend’s empty glass. “The past is in the past. Besides, I don’t know if there is anyone who can, as you say it, tame me.” 

“Whatever.” She waved a hand in the air. “I’m off to find my man and hit the dance floor. I’ll catch you later.” Brenda left her to wallow in her own thoughts. Pulling the thin strap of her small purse across her chest, she stopped at the railing to watch the fountains in the courtyard and recollect the last ten years. She kept in touch with few of her old friends, preferring to spend time with new acquaintances. After graduation, she took a teaching position in the Appalachian Mountains. Working with kids made her happy, and she’d found a guy who took her mind off Dustin for a while. They experimented with bondage in the bedroom and even went to a BDSM club a couple times. Sadly, one evening, he turned into a disillusioned self-proclaimed king of kink. Not comfortable with the role he wanted her to play in his messed-up fantasies, she ended the relationship.

I was so stupid. I should have avoided anyone who resembled him. What is it about that man that stays under my skin?

Three years had passed since the failed relationship. In the meantime, her life continued in a strict management of time. She gave up any semblance of a social existence and returned to school, expecting a master’s degree would cement her teaching position. Unfortunately, it hadn’t. She closed her eyes and set her determination to focus on the future. She needed to find a new job and start living again. At the moment, her carefully controlled life remained packed away in cardboard boxes. She would have to be content with her battery-operated boyfriend for a while.

Opening her eyes, she watched the fountains dance. A laughing couple walked past, arm in arm. They stopped for a moment, and the woman placed her hand on her rounded belly. The man positioned his hand on hers, and they shared a smile. A pang of jealousy reminded Rachel of a forgotten dream involving a good man and family. She wished for what they had. She deserved love, security, and good old-fashioned human companionship. Maybe her taste in men held her back. She shook her head when the image of Dustin appeared. No more bad boys!

Before her world collapsed, she’d sought release from her loneliness and reached out to Madame Eve’s dating service as Brenda recommended. The forms she filled out for 1Night Stand contained enough information to give her a night with a hot stud. Why did Madame Eve have to find a guy now? The timing couldn’t be worse to start a relationship. Maybe the guy would be a no-show.